Ex-Oklahoma Firefighter Pleads Guilty to Arson

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) — A former Oklahoma Forestry Services firefighter has pleaded guilty to charges of arson and endangering the lives of others.

The Cherokee County District Attorney's Office said Friday that 39-year-old Mike Adam Malenski pleaded guilty to the two counts on Thursday and was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison. Malenski was initially charged with 56 counts each of arson and endangering lives.

Prosecutors say he set the fires in the Cherokee Wildlife Management Area in 2010 and 2011 when he was a forestry services firefighter.

Previous court documents say Malenski was on duty when the fires were set and that he was typically the first person to arrive at the scene.